Slumbering Massacre (short horror story)

It was late on a Tuesday night, Oliver Maxwell was finishing up at the mortuary where he worked as the head mortician. It was Just like any other night, except for the fact that he had prepared the body of a "voodoo priest" that had recently been executed after serving time in prison. The "voodoo priest" was on death row for the murders or "sacrifices" as he called them of more than two-hundred people. Not too much was known about the man, other than he had committed more than two-hundred murders, but one thing was for sure: Oliver, was freaked out so bad he was shaking. Oliver was a seasoned mortician he has overseen hundreds of funerals over the years, but never one like this.

Oliver was just about to leave work and head home to get in bed. The entire time he was driving home, all he could think about was that "voodoo priest" and all those lives he claimed. He thought for a moment about how he could calm his nerves (remembering the six month old pack of Marlboro Reds in his glove box) he reached for them and fired one up. "Boy would my wife be furious, if she knew I was smoking again" he said to himself, because his wife demanded he quit smoking for good this time. As Oliver was pulling into the driveway, his wife Madeline and his daughter Holly was walking out to greet him "I hope she doesn't smell the cigarette smoke" he thought to himself while rubbing the pine-tree shaped air freshener on his coat and shirt.

As he exited the vehicle, he embraced his beautiful wife and daughter with a hug and a kiss. "Come inside daddy, mommy and I made dinner and we should eat before it gets cold". They proceeded into the house and sat down at the dining-room table for dinner, After dinner Madeline told Holly that it was time to ready for bed. Oliver and Madeline tucked Holly into bed and then proceeded to bed themselves. While Oliver and Madeline were getting ready for bed, Madeline noticed how strange her husband was acting "is everything okay dear?" she asked Oliver with a concerned tone and a half startled face. "Yes dear, everything is just fine. I just got a little creeped out at work is all." he replied. (Knowing something was wrong, but not wanting to start an argument Madeline dismissed the conversation) The couple proceeded to bed.

They talked the lot of about forty-five minutes until they both drifted off to sleep. The spirit of the recently deceased "voodoo priest" was stalking the family, he was standing in the daughters bedroom repeating over and over again "you are going to make a great sacrifice to the spirits my beautiful child." Holly was completely oblivious to the spirits voice, so she couldn't be startled to scream for help. The spirit made his way down the hallway into Oliver and Madeline's room, he starred at the couple for quite sometime and finally said to Oliver (who was also completely oblivious to the spirit.) "You are going to help me carryout my sacrifices to the spirits, you are going to kill your wife and daughter, as soon as the hour approaches.".

As the clock was ticking up to the hour of certain death, the entire family lay completely unaware of what awaits them. As the clock struck twelve, the spirit of the "voodoo priest" gained his strength and took control of Oliver's body and mind. Oliver was asleep and had no idea what was being done to him, the spirit now had full control over Oliver and was going to make him fulfill his agenda. The now possessed Oliver, got out of bed and then proceeded down the hall and outside the backdoor to the shed, where he grabbed a hatchet. He then proceeded back into the house with the hatchet in hand and walked down the hall into his daughters room. He stood at the foot of his daughters bed chanting, his daughter awoke to see her father standing there with a hatchet.

The concerned and oblivious young Holly asked "Is everything okay daddy? Do you need my help chopping some firewood or something?" Oliver did not respond and at this point, Holly was a little scared. (gripping the hatchet firmly) Oliver lunged towards his daughter and began butchering her, before she could let out so much as a peep. After he brutally hacked his daughter to death, he stood there gazing at her maimed and dismembered body. He then proceeded down the hall to the garage where he grabbed a blowtorch from the high shelf. After obtaining the blow torch, he proceeded down the hall to the room his wife was sleeping in, upon entering the room he stood there starring at his wife. (With a demented grin) he began heating up the hatchet blade with the torch.

After the hatchet was heated to the point of glowing, he said "Madeline, wake up!" Madeline awoke with a fright and was horrified at the sight she awoke to. "What are you doing!?" Madeline screamed at Oliver. "I am sacrificing you to please the spirits!" He responded, as he proceeded closer to his wife. Madeline tried to fight back, but Oliver's strength was too great for her to overthrow. Oliver butchered his wife with the glowing red hatchet, every impact on her body with the hatchet made a sizzling sound that was followed by a agonizing scream and plea for her life. Not a single sound she made affected Oliver's actions, as he proceeded to hack his wife to death.

After the deeds the spirit intended were completed, he left Oliver's body. Oliver then awoke standing and looking at the scorched and dismembered body of his wife. He broke into tears and into a panic, as he went down the hall to check on his daughter. Upon entering his daughters room, he was greeted with the sight of his daughters dismembered body. Oliver had absolutely no idea what had happened and was determined to bring whoever did this to justice. He finally got his wits about him and called the Sheriffs department, he told them "Send someone quick! My wife and daughter have been murdered!" About fifteen minutes later, a homicide team arrived and investigated the scene. Oliver was arrested for the murder of his wife and daughter, because of the evidence found against him. He was eventually sentenced to death.